Hanoi, HCMC remain low on quality of living index

An aerial shot of Saigon is seen from above. Photo by Shutterstock/Ngoc Tran

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City continue to be ranked well below regional peers on the global quality of living index.

Vietnam’s capital city has made no progress from last year’s ranking of 155 in the 2019 Quality of Living Index compiled by Mercer, the New York-based consultancy.

Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s biggest city and commercial hub, has not fared much better, moving up one place to 152nd in the global index that measures 231 global cities in political, social and economic environments against medical and health considerations.

The ranking also factors schools, public services and transportation, recreation, consumer goods and housing.

Both Hanoi and HCMC have experienced rapidly declining air quality over the past year, marking them among the polluted cities in Southeast Asia.

The air pollution has been blamed on construction projects, expanding fleets of cars and motorcycles and heavy industry, including steel works, cement factories and coal fired plants surrounding the capital city.

Singapore remains the most livable city in Asia, 25th in Mercer’s most recent rankings.

With a population of 1.8 million, Vienna topped the list for the tenth year in a row, boasting a vibrant cultural scene, comprehensive healthcare and moderate housing costs.

Vienna is followed by Switzerland's Zurich; and then New Zealand's Auckland and Germany's Munich in joint third position.

Baghdad has been at the bottom of the list for a decade now. Waves of sectarian violence have swept through the city since the American-led invasion in 2003.